Her Natural History: A Celebration of Women in Natural History

 

Her Natural History
Graphic featuring illustrations by female artists in natural history. L TO R: Sarah Hoare, Poems on Conchology and Botany, (1831); Harriet Scott Morgan, Australian lepidoptera and their transformations, v. 1 (1864); Elizabeth Twining, Illustrations of the natural orders of plants with groups and descriptions, v. 2 (1868); Elizabeth Gould, The Birds of Europe, v. 1 (1837).

This Women’s History Month, we invite you to join us in celebrating women in natural history as part of an international social media campaign produced in collaboration with our partners — Her Natural History: A Celebration of Women in Natural History.

Through social media and blog posts, interactive programming and citizen science opportunities, Her Natural History aims to increase awareness of and information about women in the biodiversity sciences.

The campaign will kick-off with an all-day social media blitz on Friday, 8 March 2019 (International Women’s Day) and continue throughout the month with additional posts and programming. #HerNaturalHistory is also the #LibrariesOfInstagram challenge topic for March.

We hope you’ll join us for the social media blitz on 8 March and throughout the month by following #HerNaturalHistory on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and using the hashtag to share stories, collections, publications, artworks, archival materials, exhibits, and other resources highlighting women and their contributions to natural history.

Explore our campaign content and programming below.

Her Natural History: A Celebration of Women in Natural History

When? 8-31 March, 2019
Where? Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram)
What? Join us in celebrating women in natural history this Women’s History Month! Follow along and join the campaign using #HerNaturalHistory.

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Women in Natural History BHL Content

Book Collection: Explore publications and archival materials from women in natural history.

Flickr Collection: Explore natural history illustrations by female artists.

Coloring Book: Download our free coloring book featuring natural history illustrations by female artists.

Blog Posts: Learn more about some incredible women in natural history in a series of blog posts from BHL partners.

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Social Media Feeds

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Facebook Live Events

Go behind-the-scenes with BHL partners on Facebook Live to explore the contributions of several women in the biodiversity sciences. Explore the broadcasts below.

Field Museum: Maria Martin

Join Chief Curiosity Correspondent Emily Graslie in the Rare Books Room at the Field Museum with Field Librarians Gretchen Rings and Diana Duncan to explore the work of Maria Martin, one of the background painters for Audubon’s Bird’s of America.
Event Post: https://www.facebook.com/events/596530437426325/
When?
Friday, 8 March 2019 at 11:00am ET
Where? Event Recording

Oak Spring Garden Foundation: A Curious Herbal Facebook Live

Go behind-the-scenes at Oak Spring Garden Library to explore Elizabeth Blackwell’s groundbreaking illustrated work on medical plants, A Curious Herbal. The Library has several printed editions of the work as well as 73 of the original manuscript paintings Blackwell did for the book.
Event Post: https://www.facebook.com/events/294402664547120/
When? Friday, 8 March 2019 at 2:00pm ET
Where? Event Recording

The New York Botanical Garden: #HerNaturalHistory Live

Get a behind-the-scenes look at some original botanical art, herbarium specimens, published works, manuscripts, and photographs by women in the natural sciences when New York Botanical Garden goes behind-the-scenes in their Library & Herbarium.
Event Post: https://www.facebook.com/events/2017472235221279/
When? Tuesday, 12 March 2019 at 12:30pm ET
Where? Event Recording

Smithsonian Libraries: The Art & Life of Elizabeth Gould

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the Natural History Rare Book Library at the Smithsonian Libraries as staff explore a selection of works by natural history illustrator Elizabeth Gould.
Event Post: https://www.facebook.com/events/348589999200118/
When? Friday, 22 March 2019 at 1:00pm ET
Where? Event Recording

NYBG’S #HerNaturalHistory in the Lab

Join NYBG staff on Facebook to explore the work of some of the women scientists who devoted their lives to the study of plants. Viewers will have the chance to see scientific tools, microscope slides, preserved specimens, and published works shared in the Biodiversity Heritage Library by these outstanding women in botany.
Event Post: https://www.facebook.com/events/371757017003938/
When? Thursday, 28 March 2019 at 12:30pm ET
Where? Event Recording

Maria Sibylla Merian Facebook Live

April 2nd is 17th Century artist and naturalist Maria Sibylla Merian’s birthday! Join the Oak Spring Garden Library by Facebook Live for a talk with Merian scholar Kay Etheridge about Merian’s work, influences, and the intersection of art and science.
Event Post: https://www.facebook.com/events/440593196682366/
When? Tuesday, 2 April 2019 at 1pm ET
Where? Event Recording

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Citizen Science Opportunities

Women in Natural History Wikipedia Editing Workshop

Join us for the Women in Natural History Wikipedia Editing Workshop hosted by the Biodiversity Heritage Library and Smithsonian Libraries with support from Wikimedia DC. With the help of experienced Wikipedians, attendees will learn to edit Wikipedia and improve or create Wikipedia articles related to women in natural history, drawing on the Biodiversity Heritage Library’s free and extensive online collections as source materials. No editing experience is necessary.

Attending in person? Laptops are required. Please bring your own. Wikimedia has two laptops to loan. Reserve one by emailing info@wikimediadc.org. This event is free and open to the public, but space is limited, so register today. Lunch will be provided.

Attending remotely? There will be an option to participate in the editing workshop remotely. For remote participants, the workshop will be live-streamed via YouTube Live here: https://s.si.edu/NHWomenWikiLive. Be sure to register to attend remotely.

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#HerNaturalHistory – Editing Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons

The New York Botanical Garden will be hosting an editing workshop for #HerNaturalHistory around Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons.

The LuEsther T. Mertz Library of the New York Botanical Garden welcomes students and Wikipedia editors to participate in an Edit-a-thon focused on creating and enhancing information in Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons related to the theme of Women in Natural History. This edit-a-thon is part of the #HerNaturalHistory campaign of the Biodiversity Heritage Library is co-sponsored by Wikimedia NYC.

When? 13 March, 11am-5pm ET
Where? The LuEsther T. Mertz Library of the New York Botanical Garden
More Information: Event Page

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Transcription Challenge with Smithsonian Institution Archives and the Smithsonian Transcription Center

Looking for a challenge? The Smithsonian Institution Archives and the Smithsonian Transcription Center are teaming up for a #HerNaturalHistory-themed transcription challenge. Beginning on 8 March, help a team of #volunpeers transcribe field notes from conservation biologist Devra Kleiman and botanist Cleofé Calderón. Dive into observations of golden lion tamarins with Kleiman, who worked at Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park from 1972 to 2001. And head to South America with Calderón to collect grasses for Smithsonian’s Department of Botany.

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#HerNaturalHistory Flickr Workshop

Would you like to make information about female artists and scientific illustrators more open and accessible to the world? Come to this workshop in the NYBG Library to transcribe text from illustrations that the Mertz Library has contributed to the Biodiversity Heritage Library’s collection.

When? 12 March, 2-4pm ET
Where? The LuEsther T. Mertz Library of the New York Botanical Garden
RSVP

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Her Natural History Campaign Report

Explore the outcomes and impact of #HerNaturalHistory in the Campaign Report.

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